China is a country poor in water resources, with an annual 2800 km³ of freshwater storage and 2300 m³ of water availability per capita. Both the water shortage and low use efficiency make modern China thirsty. Furthermore, the loss of glaciers and wetlands in the western plateau that feed the major rivers of China as their headwaters will exacerbate this thirst in the future. Although groundwater might be tapped as a resource, most regions already use their aquifers excessively. China needs to focus on its urgent water-shortage problems to safeguard its booming economy and to contribute more to world development.